March 17, 2008

Tired faces encountered barbecued cheeseburgers when middle school students from Tsuruta, Japan, arrived for a one-week visit Thursday.

Horseback riding, the first planned activity for the Sister City students, had to be scrapped due to rainy weather. So the 10 students and three adults from Tsuruta settled into a cheeseburger dinner in the Hood River Saddle Club meeting room, courtesy of the Sister City Committee, and then met their host families.

The students spent Friday at Hood River and Wy’east middle schools and at the K-12 Horizon Christian School, then went swimming at the Hood River Aquatics Center.

Families are planning weekend activities with their guests, and the students will again spend the day at school on Monday, following by an afternoon bowling party. Tuesday will be spent at Clackamas Town Center, and Wednesday will be a ski day.

The students are back in Hood River on May 20, with a tree planting that morning at Tsuruta Park, at 13th and State streets, lunch at Pietro’s and free time downtown, followed by roller skating at Pine Grove Elementary. That night they will be back at the Saddle Club for the 6 p.m. farewell dinner.

The group departs for Japan on March 21.

The Tsuruta students’ visit helps kick off the Hood River-Tsuruta Sister City’s 31st year. Anyone wanting to know more about the program may call Betty Carrithers at 386-3276.